Former President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt, said on Wednesday that efforts to control social media through firewall is causing irreparable damage to the country’s economy. He said firewall installation is destroying the fast-growing IT industry while online businesses are shutting down.

He added that companies and capital are fleeing the country, and the country’s reputation is being affected globally.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said in a statement issued here today that the so-called experts have not been able to install firewalls properly; therefore, it is ruining the economy, increasing unemployment, and killing the business of freelancers.

The business leader said that it is not wise to harm the weak economy of the country to deal with digital terrorists. In many countries, including China and Arab countries, the Internet is controlled, and social media is monitored to prevent anti-state propaganda.

State-controlled firewalls block unwanted websites, social media platforms, and certain content, but such measures do not affect legitimate businesses. An attempt to do so in Pakistan has brought the Internet to a standstill, which shows the expertise of the so-called experts working on the project.

He said that thousands of companies have migrated to Dubai due to slow Internet, a significant loss for our economy. Foreign companies did not like to do business with Pakistani companies before. Still, the situation has worsened, and it is like playing with the country’s future. He said such steps should be avoided, as they would harm businesses and employment and deprive the country of its income.